Doffing motion for spinning, twisting, and like machines



June` 25, 1929. .p, MACKlE 1,718,423

DOFFING MOTION FOR SPINNING, TWISTING, AND LIKE MACHINES Filed' April50, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet l 'June25,' 1929. Q RMACKIE 1.718.423

l DOFFING MOTON FOR SPINNING, TWISTING,' AND LIKE MACHINES Filed Aprilsol 1927 e sheets-sheet 2 Jllnj2r5 1929. J. P. MACK-1E 1,718,423

DOFFING MOTION FOR SPINNING, T WI'STING, AND LIKE` MACHINES Filed April30, 1927 6. Sheets-Sheet 5 /Nvwran June 25, 1929. J. P. MAK|E 1,118,423'l DOFFING MOTION FOR SPINNING, TWISTING, AND LIKE MACHINES FiledApril30, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 AWTMKS June 25, 1929: p, MACK|E I I 1,718,423

DOFFING MOTION FOR SPINNING, TWISTING, AND LIKE MACHINES Filed Aprill30, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheei 5 NVENTDR A TTORNES.

'June25,1929. A J,P MAK|E Y' 1.718.423

DOFFING MOTION FOR SPINNING, TWISTING, AND LIKE MACHINES Filed April30", 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet A6 #IVI/770K magre.

Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT. orarie-E'.

JOHN PRINGLE MACKIE, OF BELFAST, IRELAND, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES MACKIE ANDSONS, LIMITED, OF BELFAST, IRELAND, A BRITISH COMPANY. I

DOFFING MOTION FOR SPINNING, TWISTING, AND LIKE MACHINES.

Application filed April 30, 1927, Serial No. 187,946, and in- GreatBritain August 30, 1926.

This invention relates to dofiing motions for spinning, twisting andlike machines, and 1n particular it is concerned with machines of theclass in which rows of spindles are pro- 5 vided on separateinterchangeable bobbln rails, and the rails are adapted to be moved bothin vertical and horizontal directions so as to bring empty bobbinssuccessively into the spinning position within the fiyers and to bringthe rails carrying bobbins which have been filled into the dofiingposition The principal objects of the present invention are to improvethe mechanism for effecting. t-he exchange of the bobbin rails whilefacilitating the doing and to minimize wear 1n the parts, and at thesame time to arrange the mechanism in such a way that it need notproject to the front of the line of fiyers when in operation so that itdoes not impede the operators when attending to the frames In spinningframes in which the interchangeable bobbin rails are carried upon ahorizontally traversible carriage it is necessary to move the railcarrying the empty bobbins from a forward position to a rearwardposition on the carriage to make a space in the forward position toreceive the rail carrying the bobbins which have just been filled. Ifthis movement is effected b using the builder mechanism for lifting tfierail with empty bobbins and then lowering the same into the rearposition, not only has a separate support to be provided for the rail offilled bobbins during this operation, but the movement of the emptybobbins is somewhat complicated and the operation has to be performedwhile the machine is not running. rlhis change in position of the railcarrying the empty bobbinsI has been simplified by pushing this railrearwardly on a horizontal slide-way, but the present invention4 avoidsthe friction and consequent Wear on the bobbin rails and co-operatingparts due to this slide-way.

According to the present invention, during the time when the railcarrying the empty bobbins is moved to the rearward position on thecarriage` a lifting mechanism is employed independently of the buildermechanism, so that the nuisance of lowering the builder mechanism fromthe rail carrying the filled bobbins is obviated. It is preferred toarrange the separate lifting mechanism to be operated by the attendantindependently of the traversing movement of the carriage. The

lifting of the rail carrying the empty bobi two telescoping parts, thatisV to say parts.`

with lost motion, the carriage proper sli'ding on an intermediatecarriage which in its turn moves on the fixed slide. Then, when theempty bobbins are carried to the rear position, the parts can sotelescope that there is no need for the fixed slide to project beyondthe rear position. The same inconvenience can easily be avoided,however, by oausin the lifting mechanism to lift the rail with the emptybobbins when the latter are below `the spinning position and not to therear of the spinning position, but this of necessity requires a littlemore head room to enable the empty bobbins to pass below those in thespinning position and to be slightly lifted while below the bobbins inthe spinning position. A convenient form of lifting vmechanism comprisespivoted lifting arms which may be operated by a pivoted frame orlinkwork which may be rocked upon the rotation of a cam carried on aspindle which-can be turned by the operator. f

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect, some examples of dofling motions constructed inaccordance with the present invention will now be described more fullywith reference to the accompanying drawings` in which:-

Figure l is a diagrammatic side view showing the parts of the machanismused for moving the interchangeable rails with their bobbins from thespinning tothe doing positions, and vice versa; Y

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are similar views showing successive positions oftheparts;

Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the cycle of movements carried out bythe mechanism shown in Figures l` to 4; e

Figure v 6 is a View similar to4 Figure -1 showing a modified doflingmotion'having the carriage formed in two telescoping parts;

Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 are similar views showingl the partsv insuccessive positions Figure 1l is a view corresponding t0 Figure lshowing yet a further modified form of doffing motion arranged for theindependent lifting motion to be applied to the rail of bobbinsimmediat-ely below the spinning position; v

Figures 12, 13 and 14 are corresponding figures showing the parts insuccessive positions; and f Figure 15 is a diagram showing the cycle ofmovements carried outby the motion` shown in Figures 11 to 14.

`Referring first of all to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, a simple formof doffing mo- Y tion is illustrated in which the carriage is a simplecarriage 1 cut with rack teeth 2 on its under surface. The teeth 2 areengaged by a pinion 3 on the operating shaft 4 Von the end of which issecured a handle not shown by means of which the operator carries outthe transferring motion from the spinning position to the doffingposition. As can be seen from the drawings, the carriage 1 is ofsufcient width from back to front to accommodate Vtwo bobbin railsindicated at 5a and 5P. These may be received in two recesses which 'areformed by forward and rearwardl ledges 6, 6b and an intermediate ledgeor ride 6 extending along the carriage across the machine and leavingrecesses just wide enough to accommodate the one bobbin rail. In Figure1, for example, the bobbin rail 5a is shown seated in the forward recessbetween the ridges 6n and 6c. As illustrated, the carriage 1 has threepins 7, 7* and 7c projecting from each side, each carrying a frictionroller 8, 8b and 8 adapted to engage within a groove 9 in a fixed slide10. The

'slide may extend slightly to the front of the spinning position only sothat when the cai'- riage is moved forward to the dofiing positionasshown in Figure 1, approximately the forward half of the carriage 1overhangs the fixed slide 10. Y

The lifting mechanism comprises brackets 113 guided on the standards 114of the machine in its rising and falling movements. The brackets 113 aregiven an up-and-down motion for effecting the building operation, thisimotion being transmitted to it through 'the chain 115 and sprocket wheel116,

which may have any usual connection to the building cam.

The independent lifting motion in the form illustrated comprises a pairof arms 11.,Y 11b pivoted to the frame 10 at 12EL and 12b and havingtheir free ends extending so as to be just below the bobbin rail whenthe latter is moved rearwardly over the arms 11, 11b.V The arm 11"l isone arm of a bell crank lever whose other arm 13a extends downwards. Thearm 11b is also the arm of a similarbell crank lever with a downwardlyextending arm 13b but also provided with an additional long arm 14projecting upwards into the path of a snail cam 15. The down- Wardl'yprojecting arms 13a, 13b are linked together by a rod 16V so that whenby the operator turning the hand lever 15*1 the snail cam 15 is turnedto push the free end of the long arm 14 rearwardly-as shown in Figure 2,the frame constituted by the two bell crank levers is rocked so that thefree ends of the arms 11, 11b rise into the position shown in Figure 2and lift the bobbin rail 5 which i has been moved to the 'position abovethese arms sufficiently high for the carriage l to be free of the ridges6a, 6b and 6C.

' The transferring movements and the dolfing are carried out in thefollowing cycle of operations: Commencing from the position shown inFigure 1, in whichspinning is going on upon the bobbins 171 which arebetween the flyers 18 in the spinningy position, and in which the otherset of bobbins 1T are filled and are on' the rail 5 in the doffingposition. The operator first changes the filled bobbins 17L for emptyVbobbins and then, at a moment when the bobbins 17b in the spinningposition are at the top of their travel, the operator by turning thehandle on the shaft 4 racks the carriage 1 completely acrossinto therear position shown in .Figure 2 and the'bob'bin rail 5"L is thenl abovethe arms 11, `11". Then the operator turns the cani 15 by turning anindependent handle on the end of its 'shaft 19. This raises the rail 5ainto the position shown in Figure 2 so that its Vlower surface is abovethe top of the ridges 6a, 6b and 6C. Then, by again turning the shaft 4in the opposite direction, the carriage 1 is racked forward until theforward recess between the ridges 6a and 6c is immediately below theVspinning posit-ion, whereupon by rotating the shaft 19 and theca1n15,the bobbins 17"L upon the rail 5 are lowered into the rearwardrecess between the ridges 6b and 6C. VThen the bobbins 1Tb in thespinningposition are full, the rail 5" bearing the full bobbins islowered into the Yforward recess between the ridges 6a andc. 'The partshave then taken upr the position 'shown in Figure 4. It is obvious,however,

thatif .desired the bobbins 17" can be lowered into the forward recessbefore the bobbins 1"(a have been lowered into the rearward recess. Nextthe carriage 1 carrying both the empty and full bobbins is moved to theforward position again as shown in Figure 1; thebuilder motion is causedto lift the empty bobbins 17a into the spinning position within theflyers 18, and the full 4bobbins 17b are then ready for dofling. Thecycle has been completed, the parts are again in the position shown inFigure 1 except. of course, that the empty and iilled bobbins have beenintel-changed.

The cycle is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 5 where a representsthe spinning position, the movement from a to the defrom toc the forwardmotion into the lll) Q dofiin'g position where the'filld bobbins arelchanged for emptyI bobbins, then the movement of the emptybobbins to the`rear position'is shown by the arrow c, d, the independent lift by'thearrow (l, e, the descent by the arrow e, f, the movement to the positionbelow thespinningposition by f, g, and the lift into thespinninggposition'by the arrow t.

It will be realized, ofcourse, that the first por-tion ofthe aboveoperation can becarried out: immediately after thev frame has beendefied, thatv is to say, as soon as the filled bobbins 17a (seeFigure 1) hav'ebeen replaced byemptybobbins, andiat a'suitable moment.

when the bobbins 17 Pin the spinning position are a-tfthe Vtop of theirtravel, the carriage 1 bearing the empty bobbins 17a can be rackedacross to the rearward position thus withdrawing all the operatingmechanism to the p inside of the framework so that nothing 'projectsbeyondtheforward end :of the slide-way- 10. This has the advantage thatthe front of the frameis lefttentirely `free from projecting parts sothat the operator can attend to the spinning operation withouthindrance. This improvement is common to all three forms of dofiingmotionswhich are illustrated in the drawings.

In the form of dofiingfmotion illustrated in Figures to 10 there is lessprojection of t-he slide to the rear. In this form the simple carriage 1shown in FiguresV 1 to 4 is replaced by-a double carriage in which thecarriage proper has axridge 36a'and 36? bothat the forward .end and therearward end, and as can bev seen in Figure 6, is only 'sufficientlywide from back to-front to receive' one bobbin rail 35V Thecarriageproper 31 in this case slides onvan intermediateY carriage 31a which hasa ridge 36b only at'its rear end and in its turn slides on thefixed'slide 40.V The' intermediate carriagev 31l has no rack teeth butthe teethv 32 on the carriage proper'31are engaged in turn by twopinions 33, 33h, fixed on shafts 34a and. 34? geared together. Theintermediate carriage 31"has av cross-bar 50a at its front end andanother cross-bar'50b'atits rearv end in such positions as to engagewith the front and rear of the carriage proper 31 so thatv the latter,when operated by the'pinions 33a and 33", can move with'lost motion on'the4 intermediate carriage 31, but which, upon continued operation ofthe pinions 33'a and 33", is pushed and partakes of the motion of thecarriage: 31 due to the 'impact between this carriage and the cross-bar50a'or 50b respectively. 1

The lifter mechanism L is 'arranged in the same position and of similarconstruction to that shown in Figures 1 to 4 and ldoes not need furtherdetailed description.

In this ease, when the bobbins are in the position for dofiing,as'shownin Figure 6, the rail 35a on which they are supported lies inlthe recess inthe carriage properv 31 which is at the forward end fofthe intermediate carriage 31 and therefore overhangs the fixed slide 40.The filled bobbins 47al are replaced by empty ones, the operator racksthe carriage proper back by turning the shaft 34a or 34h, and first ofall the carriage with the bobbins 47a reaches the position immediatelybelow the spinning position Then the lost motion ofthef'carriage 31relatively to the intermediate carriage 3P is taken up, and on furtherracking backwards of the carriage 31 the latter bears against the rearcross-bar 50b of the intermediate'carriage 31TL and consequently carriesthe intermediate carriage backwards with it until the bobbin rail 35lreaches the rearward position shown in'Figure 8. Then the independentlifting mechanism is operated by rotating the shaft49 and cam 45,lifting the rail :35a with the Abobbins 47 clear of the ledges 36a and36, and the carriage proper 31 is then racked forwardly until it againarrives immediately below the spinning position.' Du1ing..tl1is lastmovement the intermediate carriage 31al has not moved owing to the lostmotion. Now the rail 35a carrying the empty bobbins 47 is lowered intothe recess on to the surface of the intermediate carriage 31a. At theend of the spinning operation, when the bobbins 47b are full, the rail35b carryingthe filled bobbins is lowered into the recess in thecarriage proper'31 between the ledges 36a and 36, and the parts havethen reached the position shown in Figure 10. Then the carriage proper31 is-rocked into the forward position. and owing to its Contact withthe forward cross-bar 50a it pushes the intermediate'carriage 31a withit so that the rail of bobbins 47" which are now filled is moved intothe-dofiing position and .the rail of empty bobbins is moved into theposition below the spinning position so that the latter can be raised bythe lifter mechanism, and again the parts'have returned to thepositionshown-in Figure 6 so that spinning can now be proceeded with.

In the third form of dofiing motion shown in Figures 11 to 14fthe largeamount ofl projection of the slideV to the rear is avoided by placingthe lifter mechanism La more forwardly so that the freeV ends of thelifter arms 61a, 61b enga-ge below a bobbin rail whenv the latter isimmediately below the spinning position. The` general design is heresomewhat varied; for example, instead of a fixed slide corresponding tothe fixed slide 1() in Figures 1 to 6, a framework 71 carrying a pair ofbearer rollers 72a, 72" is employed, and the carriage 51, which is asnnple one-piece carriage with a double recess between the ledges-56,56h and 56, as in Figure 1, has-a flat laterally projecting surface at73 which rides on the stationary bearer rollers 72a and 72?.

The method of operation of this constructionis the saine as of thatillustrated in Figures 1 to 4 except that when the filled bobbins shownVin the dolfing position in `Figure 11 have been replaced by emptybobbins 67, the latter are only moved back to the position below thespinning position as shown in Figure 12, and then are lifted by turningthe shafts 69 and the cam 65. The carriage 51 is then returned to theforward position as-shown in Figure 13, and the rails *a bearing theempty bobbins G7 is again lowered into the rear recess between theledges 56b and 56 when the carriage 51 with the empty bobbins is movedreai'wardly by turning the shaft 54 and the pinion 53 into such aposition that the front recess between the ledges 56 and 56C isimmediately below the spinning position and can receive the filledbobbins 67h b y lowering these from the position shown in Figure'l intothe recess between the ledges 55 and 56, whereupon the filled bobbins67b are moved into the clotting position and the parts have regained thepositions shown in Figure 11.

It will be followed that in the form illus` i trated in Figures 11 to 14the cycle of motions, instead of being in the form of an inverted T withasmall lift at the rearward endV and like machines, comprising incombination a pair of interchangeable bobbin rails, a carriage adaptedto move horizontally and to support said bobbin rails, a liftingmechanism for removing either of said bobbin rails from the carriageinto the spinning position, and means located at least as fai towardsthe rear ofthe machine as the spinning position, said means serving fortemporarily lift-` ing` either of said bobbin rails fiom said carriageindependently of said lifting mechanism. y

2. A dofiing motion for spinning, twisting and like machines, comprisinga fixed slide way, a carriage movable thereon, a pair of interchangeablebobbin rails adapted to be siipported on said carriage, a liftingmechanism for removing either of said bobbin rails from said carriageinto the spinning position, means located at least as far towards therear of the machine as the spinning position, said means serving fortemporarily lifting either of said bobbin rails from said carriage Yindependently of the lifting mechanism. and

l a mechanism for traversing said carriage on said slide-way in bothdirections.

3. A dofiing motion for spinning, twisting and like machines, comprisingin combination a fixed slide-way a carriage movable thereon, a pair ofinterchangeable bobbin rails adapted to be supported on said carriage, alifting Vmechanism foi` removing either of said bobbin rails from saidcarriage into the spinning position, and means located to the rear ofthe spinning position for temporarily raising either of said bobbini'ails from said carriage iinlependently ofthe lifting mechanism.

4. A dotiing motion forspiniiing, twisting and like machines, comprisingin combination a. fixed slideeway, an intermediate carriage movablethereon, a primary carriage movable on said intermediate carriage andcapable of reciprocating the latter with lost motion, a pair ofinterchangeable bobbin rails adapted to be supported on saidcarriages, alifting mechanism arrangedto remove either of said bobbin rails fromsaid intermediate carriage into the spinning position, and means forraising temporarily either of said rails from said carriagesindependently of said lifting mechanism. Y

i dofiing motion for spinning, twisting and like machines, comi'irisingin combination a pair of interchangeable bobbin rails, a fixedslide-way, an intermediate carriage movable on said slide-way a primarycarriage movable on said'intermediate carriage with lost inotion, saidprimary carriage being suliiciently wide to carry one of said bobbinrails only but said intermediate carriage beingof substantially twicethe width of said primary carriage, a mechanism for traversing saidprimary eai'riage oiigsaid intermediate rcarriage and for movingthe.latter on said slide-way with iost motion, a-lifting mechanism forremoving either of saidxbobbin rails from said intermediate carriageintothe spinning postion, and meansv for raising either of said bobbinrails from-said carriages independently of said lifting mechanism. Y A"'6. A spinning, twisting or likeniachine, comprising in combination astationary framework, a plurality of flyers journalled therein, drivingmeans for said flyers, a fixed slide-way mounted on-said framework, acarriage 'arranged to move on said slide-way,

mechanism for driving said carriage on said slide-way, a pair ofinterchangeable bobbin rails adaptedtto be supported on said carriage,a'V lifting mechanism for removing either of said bobbin. rails fromsaid carriage into the spinning position,- and means ioca'ted at leastasfar towards' the rear of the machine as the spinning position, saidmeans serving for raising either of said bobbin rails from saidcarriage,independently ofsaid lifting mechanism.` i

'7. A dofling motion fors-pinning, twisting and like machines,comprising in combination a fixed slide-way, a carriage arranged to moveon said slide-way and shaped with lateral ribs forming forward andrearward recesses on said carriage, a pair of interchangeable bobbinrails each of a width to be received in either of said two recesses, alifting mechanism for removing either of said bobbin rails from saidcarriage into the spinning position, and means located at least as fartowards the rear of the machine as the spinning position, said meansserving for raising either of said bobbin rails from said carriageindependently of said lifting mechanism so as to clear the ribs and toenable said carriage to move without carrying with it the lifted bobbinrail.

8. A dofting motion for spinning, twisting and like machines, comprisingin combination a fixed slide-way, a carriage arranged to be movablethereon and shaped with ribs forming forward and rearward recesses onsaid carriage, a pair of interchangeable bobbin rails each of such awidth aspto be received within either of said recesses, a liftingmechanism for removing either of said bobbin rails from said carriageinto the spinning position, and means located to the rear of saidspinning position for raising either of said bobbin rails independentlyof said lifting mechanism to a height sufficient to allow the raisedbobbin rail to clear said'ribs and to allow of the forward movement ofsaid carriage without coming into contact withv said raised bobbin rail.

9. A dofiing motion for spinning, twisting and like machines, comprisingin combination a fixed slide-way, a carriage movable thereon, mechanismfor moving said carriage on said slide-way, a pair of interchangeablebobbin rails adapted to be supported on said carriage, a liftingmechanism for removing either of said bobbin rails from said carriageinto the spinning position, and means comprising a pivoted linkage andlifter arms for raising either of said bobbin rails from said carriageindependently of said liftingmechanism, and means for rocking andthereby actuating said pivoted linkage.

10. A doiling motion for spinning, twisting and like machines,comprising in combination a fixed slide-way, a carriage movable thereon,mechanism for moving said carriage on said slide-way a pair ofinterchangeable bobbin rails adapted to be supported on said carriage, alifting mechanism for removing either of said bobbin rails from saidcarriage into the spinning position, and means comprising a pivotedlinkage and lifter arms for raising either of said bobbin rails fromsaid carriage independently of said lifting mechanism, andmeans forrocking and thereby actuating said pivoted linkage, said last mentionedmeans being independent of the mechanism for moving said carriage.

1l. A doffing motion for spinning, twistin g and like machin-es,comprising a fixed slide-way, a compound carriage movable thereon andconsisting of an intermediate carriage and a primary carriage movablewith lost motion thereon, a mechanism for moving said primary carriageon said intermediate carriage with lost motion and thereby moving'saidintermediate carriage, a pair of interchangeable bobbin rails adapted tobe supported on said compound carriage, a lifting mechanism for removingeither of said bobbin rails from said compound carriage into thespinning position, a pivoted linkage with lifter arms for temporarilyraising either of said bobbin rails from said compound carriageindependently of said lifting mechanism, and means for operating saidpivoted linkage independently of said mechanism for moving said compoundcarriage.

l2. A dofiing motion for spinning, twisting and like machines,comprising in combination a fixed slide-way, a carriage movable thereon,a pair of interchangeable bobbin rails adapted to be supported on saidcarriage, a lifter mechanism for removing either of said bobbin railsfrom said carriage into the spinning position, a parallel linkage havingarms pivoted to said fixed slide-way, and a cam rotatably mounted toactuate said linkage and temporarily to raise either of said bobbinrails from said carriage independently of said lifting mechanism.

13. A doffing motion for spinning, twisting and like machines,comprising in combination a fixed slide-way, a carriage slidablethereon, a pair of interchangeable bobbin rails adapted to be supportedon said carriage, a lifter mechanism for removing either of said bobbinrails from said carriage into the spinning position, a pair of armslinked together and pivoted to said slide-way in position to lie below abobbin rail when the latter is to the rear of the spinning position, anda hand-operated cam for rocking said pivoted arms and thereby raisingeither of said bobbin rails from said carriage independently of saidlifting mechanism.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 11th day of April,1927.

JACK P. MACKIE.

